Page 88 of A Violet Obsession

“Lily.” I bend my knees and cup her cheeks with my hands, tipping her face to look at me. “Butterfly, look at me. You’re safe. I’ve got you. Come back to me.”

I don’t like the way her breath is sawing in her chest.

“Lily.” I press my forehead to hers and whisper against her lips. “Please stop. It’s me. It’s Finn.” Then, to make myself feel better as much as to get through to her, I kiss her.

She melts into me for several moments, but then she stiffens, her fingers grabbing fistfuls of my shirt. “Finn? What—what happened?”

“You’re okay.” I pull her in, my palm across her back.

But she’s not okay. And neither am I. My heart is pounding like it’s trying to get out of my chest, and pieces of a puzzle are coming together even as new questions form in my head.

Because I’ve seen that blank expression before.

It’s the same look she had on the security tapes.

32

LILY

I can’t shake this headache.

It’s been sitting behind my left eye since I woke up alone, and no amount of water or deep breathing is touching it. I fold Finn’s hoodie into thirds and set it on top of the duffel. Is it any wonder my head hurts? My brain’s been turned into Swiss cheese.

Finn crouches in front of where I’ve basically collapsed on the floor, holding a bottle of water that he keeps trying to make me drink. “How are you feeling?”

“My head hurts.” And my anxiety is through the roof.

“Do you remember what happened?”

I shake my head. Some of my fear must leak out, because he strokes a hand over my hair and kisses me on the forehead. “It’s okay.”

It’s really not. I’ve lost time again, and obviously did something that freaked him out.

“We were dancing and you suddenly… changed. I don’t know a better word for it. You were here, but you weren’t.” His throat bobs. “You couldn’t hear me.” He pulls in a breath through his nose, steadying himself. “You were searching the kitchen. You were looking for the amethyst. And the look on your face.” He stops.

“Just tell me,” I whisper.

“It’s the same way you looked in the video.”

Bile burns at the back of my throat.

“I did it.” My whole body is shaking, and Finn takes the bottle out of my hand, putting it on the floor next to me, before taking my hands between his.

“You didn’t know what you were doing. I’m sure of it.”

I stare at him incredulously. “So, what? I’m some sort of fine jewelry kleptomaniac.”

“No. I⁠—”

“And if I took it, what the hell did I do with it?” I can hear the hysteria in my voice, but I can’t stop it. “Oh my god. I’m going to prison.”

“No,” Finn practically snarls. “That’s not happening.”

I don’t bother arguing. There won’t be anything he can do about it.

“Tell me about Dr. Williams.”

The change of topic throws me. “What? There’s not much to tell. She’s nice.”